1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable bale wrapper for covering round straw or hay bales for outside storage in the field. The apparatus is light-weight but durable in rotating around hay bales during the wrapping process. The apparatus can be readily operated by one person, easily moved to the next bale on one of its wheels, and quickly dismantled for transport to the next remote area and rebuilt for use.
Farmers bale hay in the field in cylindrical forms which are left in the fields for as long as several years and accessed for animal feed or fodder when desired. The problem of spoilage arises because of the failure to cover these hay bales effectively due to the expensive cost of owning or renting hay bale covering machinery. Therefore, farmers will leave their bales in the field and encounter increased spoilage, as much as one-third, due to exposure to rain and snow. The farmer must then scrape off the snow or chop through the frozen hay with an axe because the farm animals will only eat the centers of the hay bales, thus wasting at least half the stored hay. The normal practice is to cover bales with a plastic sheet around the sides and leave the ends open. The bales are then placed end to end to minimize exposure of the ends.
Therefore, there exists a need for an round bale wrapper apparatus for covering hay bales on uneven ground in the field which is relatively inexpensive, light-weight and foldable for extended transport. More importantly, commercial bailers require two people to operate, while the inventive apparatus can be operated with only one person with the following advantages: wrapping speed, e.g., 30 to 40 seconds, wrapping accuracy and a minimum of effort required by the single operator.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art has not considered the necessity for a portable, one-person operable, light-weight round hay bale wrapper. The wrapping operation disclosed by the prior art may be portable but is usually performed indoors and may be associated with heavy machinery such as a vehicle.
The discussion of the prior art patents are considered in the order of their perceived relevance. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,369,614 issued on Jan. 25, 1983, to Siegfried K. Tetzner, an apparatus for wrapping a load of cartons carried on a floor-mounted pallet consisting of a carriage on a wheeled base is described. An upright member supports a carrier for a roll of wrapping paper, which carrier is moved vertically along the upright member by a cable supplied from a drum and transported over several rollers. However, Tetzner neither suggests nor discloses the need for any structural member attached to the center of the rectangular load's top surface.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,057 issued on Jan. 22, 1991, to Douglas Gainforth, an apparatus for covering twine wrapped hay bales is described. The L-shaped frame consists of a roll of wrapping material positioned on the horizontal member above a horizontal probe having a steel rod twisted along the probe, which probe supports a cylindrical bale of hay. The insertion of the probe, rotation of the bale and the removal of the probe is performed by powered means. The wrapping material, polyethylene film having a thickness of 1.2 mm., an unstretched length of 5,000 feet and including ultraviolet radiation inhibitors is hereby incorporated by reference. The roll of wrapping material is sized proportionately for the length of the bale, i.e., the width of the plastic sheet equals the length of the bale being covered.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,616,474 issued on Oct. 14, 1986, to Edmond Morley et al., a mobile film wrapping apparatus is attached to a self propelled vehicle, i.e., a forklift, and powered by the vehicle's electrical power supply. The plastic film is dispensed from a supply roll to a heated roller before wrapping the load having the same height as the length of the supply roll.
Various bale wrapping machinery which involve heavy intricate equipment are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,409,784 issued on Oct. 18, 1983, to Robert M. VanGinhoven et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,827,699 issued on May 9, 1989, to Kevin J. Shauman; U.S. Pat. No. 4,827,700, issued on May 9, 1989 to Donald H. Rampe et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,972,656 issued on Nov. 27, 1990, to Jahn E. Haugstad; U.K. Patent Application No. 2,159,489A published on Dec. 4, 1985, for Kenneth Williamson; and PCT WO 93/07059 published Apr. 13, 1993, for Ebbe Korsgaard.
Various non-bale loads are wrapped by intricate machinery described by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,910,005 issued on Oct. 7, 1975, to Hubert A. Thimon et al.; 4,522,348 issued on Jun. 11, 1985, to Russell B. Strout et al.; and 4,553,374 issued on Nov. 19, 1985, to William G. Lancaster et al.
The disclosures of the prior art are incorporated by reference herein. None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.